Is it legal to track employees using GPS?

GPS fleet tracking is growing in popularity as managers discover the many benefits of being able to follow their vehicles in real-time, as well as generating reports on worker activity.

But some employers worry that by tracking staff using GPS will expose their business to a lawsuit. Is it legal to use GPS to track staff?

What is GPS tracking?

What are we referring to when we talk about GPS tracking? Essentially it is where an employee’s vehicle is fitted with a GPS tracking device, or the GPS feature on their phone is activated to track their movements throughout the day*. The employer uses this information to know where workers have been during the day, as well as other GPS-related information such as time on the job or vehicle speed.

*There are two types of GPS devices – connected and disconnected. A connected device will send out a signal that can be tracked by an authorized user in real-time. A disconnected device will store that information and someone can review the data when the device returns to the office. There are pros and cons for both types but a connected device is the more popular choice because it gives employers the ability to act quickly on time-critical information, such as knowing who is closest to an ad-hoc job and can respond faster.

The employer may use a web-based service (or SaaS software), such as Telogis Fleet, to track these GPS devices so they can view them from anywhere that has an internet connection, normally in the office. They may receive instant alerts when certain ‘rules’ or parameters are breached, such as speeding, driving dangerously, entering no-go areas (such as a bar or casino during work hours) or when the vehicle is having mechanical problems.

So you’ve decided to install GPS tracking devices so you know what you’re staff are doing throughout the day – will you get into trouble with the law?

Is GPS tracking staff legal?

There seem to be a variety of opinions on how legal it is with some commentators saying it is a ‘gray’ area but the general consensus is that, if done properly, then you won’t have to fear a legal challenge from an employee.

The difficulty seems to be balancing the rights of a business to know how company equipment is being used and what employees are doing while on the clock, with a worker’s right to privacy.

The answer seems to be as open as possible with your staff on what you are tracking and why. The chances of running in to legal problems are greatly increased when GPS tracking is done in secret, without an employee’s knowledge. Not only does that give them grounds for defense but may result in legal action for invasion of privacy.

Use GPS trackers on company property only

Inform staff before beginning GPS tracking and have them accept this as part of using company-owned equipment

Only collect and store information that is interferes or impacts on their job performance

When done for the right reasons and with your staff on board, you’ll find it far less likely that you’ll run into legal problems, instead enjoying the safety, productivity and efficiency benefits lots of fleets are enjoying with GPS tracking.

Tracking of employees is necessary in finding out the disloyal employee and also to increase the effectiveness of the employee.But it is necessary to inform the staffs that they are being tracked in order to avoid legal issues.Tracking the employees without their knowledge is not fair, as it may look like their privacy has been stolen by the employers.

Brandon

Hello my name is Brandon and I work for the state of West Virginia. I found a gps tracking device in my company truck and I was not notify or told about it being installed in my truck. Do I have any rights against this because I work for the State of West Virginia. If I do please email at state_employee487@yahoo.com

Our Co.is getting GPS phones so they can track us during the day but I want to know is legal to track us in own cars we have to use our cars to work and go to place to place I can understand if they provided the cars but they don’t

Robin

I have a question… what if the vehicle is also provided for preivate use as well as company use. Is it then legal to report of someone’s whereabouts? What if the spouse’s movements are reported on and she hasn’t given her permission? What if the driver is at a mosque and this location is reported… is theis a breach of his religous freedom, or if he visits a medical clinic… is this a breach of his privacy? What if he books the afternoon off and goes for an interview with a competitor?

GPS Trivia

A GPS satellite weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and is about 17 feet across with the solar panels extended:GPS satellites transmit two low power radio signals, designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequency of 1575.42 MHz in the UHF band. The signals travel by line of sight, meaning they will pass through clouds, glass and plastic but will not go through most solid objects such as buildings and mountains or under water.:A GPS signal contains three different bits of information - a pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. This information identifies the satellite, its current status, date and time as well where it should be at any given time.:GPS refers to the U.S. Department of Defense's GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), also known as NAVSTAR. There are other GNSSs around the world including the Russian GLONASS, the Chinese Compass and the EU Galileo system.:The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978.:A full constellation of 24 satellites was achieved in 1994.:Each satellite is built to last about 10 years. Replacements are constantly being built and launched into orbit.:Transmitter power is only 50 watts or less.:It takes between 65 and 85 milliseconds for a signal to come from a GPS satellite to a receiver on earth.:World financial markets set their clocks to the highly accurate atomic clocks on board GPS satellites.